IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE: Rickie Watts (left) and John Baxter of KP Snacks (NI) donned some footie gear from yesteryear to launch McCoys Crisps tasty new deal with the oldest league in world football.
NORTHERN IRELAND’S number one ridged crisp McCoy’s has proven itself to be ‘in a different league’ after securing a tasty deal with the oldest league in world football.
The popular ‘man crisp’ has been signed up as the Official Crisp Partner of the Football League which was founded in 1888 with just 12 member teams including Everton, Aston Villa and Stoke City.
Now McCoy’s is calling on Northern Ireland’s supporters of the League’s 72 clubs to get behind its latest campaign which, in association with Sky Sports, will offer local football fans the chance to win some amazing ‘money can’t buy’ football prizes on packs over the next few months.
As well as thousands of ‘2 for 1’ football league tickets, footie fans can win executive tickets to the Championship Play-Off Final including a tour of Wembley stadium, VIP ‘meet and greet’ experiences with clubs and managers, and tours of Sky Studios with an opportunity to be in the audience for Soccer AM or Saturday Night Football including travel and accommodation. McCoy’s lovers can also win a brand new 42” TV with free Sky Sports for a year and a year’s supply of McCoy’s crisps.
The huge promotion will be supported in Northern Ireland by a range of bespoke activities including the annual McCoy’s NI Pub Quiz, the search to find Northern Ireland’s brainiest pub team, which this ‘season’ will have an ‘In a Different League’ theme.
A Sky Sports TV campaign featuring popular Saturday morning football show Soccer AM’s presenter Max Rushden will also celebrate the ‘Real McCoy’s’ of the game.
Ricky Watts, Business Account Manager (NI) for McCoy’s manufacturer KP Snacks, said: “To use a common football phrase, we are over the moon to announce the McCoy’s partnership with The Football League and to offer footie fans in Northern Ireland a chance to win some incredible prizes as well as tickets to see their favourite teams in action.
“Almost every football fan in Northern Ireland has a favourite team playing in the English league and while the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool have large followings here, there is also a lot of support for teams in the Football League where teams still compete on a level playing field financially and fans can relate more to the players on the pitch. These are the real football fans that McCoy’s is targeting, those fans with a real passion for the beautiful game and a loyalty towards their club.
“The Football League is full of ‘sleeping giants’ like Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, Brighton and Wolves, to mention but a few, all of whom excellent football pedigrees and fans across Northern Ireland supporting them in their quest to relive the glory days. We are calling on all of these fans to stand up and be proud and hopefully, with a little help from McCoy’s, we can get some of them across the water to cheer on their teams in person.
“Northern Ireland has always been a key market for McCoy’s so hopefully all those Football League fans out there will be happy to see a major campaign that isn’t just focused on the Premier League. As we like to say, McCoy’s is ‘in a different league’ altogether!” concluded Ricky.
The first season of the Football League began on September 8 1888 with 12 member clubs from the North of England and the Midlands, including Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Derby County, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Notts County and Accrington.
Preston North End were the first team to be crowned champions.
Now the League consists of three divisions – the Championship, League One and League Two – with 24 clubs in each division. Of the 72 teams currently playing in the Football League, more than one third (28 to be precise) have played in the Premier League since its formation in 1992.
McCoy’s is the number one ridged crisp in Northern Ireland with 100% distribution across in 350 symbol stores locally for its top three flavours Flame Grilled Steak, Salt and Malt Vinegar and Cheddar and Onion.
Across the UK, McCoy’s crisps are consumed by more than a third of households and one pack is eaten every 15 seconds. A total of 20 million packs will give away no fewer than 18,000 tickets for football matches as part of the two-for-one promotion.
